CASE STUDY
| Lava Centre, Iceland
Not much on earth can match the wonder and ferocity of a volcano. Paul Milligan visited a new museum in Iceland tasked with educating visitors on this natural phenomenon.
Fire and ice
T
hey say every cloud has a silver
came when one of the founders of the project,
We have learnt from years of experience that if people participate they will learn much faster, and the experience is much greater for them.
Ole Gunnar Sigardsson was stranded in Florida
- Hringur Hafsteinsson, Gagarin
lining, and in the case of the Lava Centre in the town of Hvolsvöllur in Iceland, it’s certainly true. The inspiration for the museum
during the ash cloud eruption in 2010. All the American TV coverage was beamed from his
Iceland Air and the National Bank of Iceland to
different companies who could provide us with
native land and it led him to wonder why there
invest in tourist attractions outside of Reykavik.
technology.”
wasn’t something back home to represent the
The town of Hvolsvöllur was chosen because
The whole concept for the Lava Centre is
island’s incredible natural landscape. Ádbjörn
of its close proximity to five active volcanoes,
based on a script written by leading Icelandic
Björgvinsson, the director of sales and marketing
but it is also situated on a main road through
geoscientist Ari Trausti Gudmundsson. It was
for the Lava Centre, was brought on board
which 60% of all tourists drive past during their
then over to Reykjavík-based interactive media
early on after successfully setting up The Whale
stay on the island. To help keep costs low, the
agency Gagarin to transform that in to a modern-
Museum in northern Iceland in the late 1990s.
museum owners lease the building from a local
day visitor attraction.
He takes up the story; “In the beginning I said we
builder (who self-financed the build) to ensure
the AV part of the project was Reykjavík-based
cannot go half way, we have to create a unique
the initial funding could sustain a few years
integrator Feris. “I’m driven by passion, I don’t
experience, a unique building, which will capture
before investors needed to see a return. Once
own any of the museum,” says Björgvinsson “I
people’s attention, which will make people come
the building began to take shape it was down to
don’t gain financially if it goes well. I want to
to us. You don’t send tourists to a location,
Björgvinsson to find the right people to make the
create something unique and leave something
they will go where they want to go. We had
interior come alive. “We started off by finding
behind for the community. I feel like Feris put
to create a presentation on how we thought it
one of the best architects in Iceland (Basalt) at
their hearts into what they are doing.
would all work, because if I couldn’t sell it to the
interpreting buildings within nature. We then
was the key reason we decided to work with
investors how was I going to sell it to tourists?”
touched base with the geology department at
Feris and Gagarin. We went through the same
Björgvinsson said it took about a year to get the
the University of Iceland, the Met Office, the
presentation to Feris that we gave to investors.
funding, with the crucial element coming from
local police and the authorities. When we knew
We told them what we wanted to achieve, and
the Iceland Tourism Fund, which was setup by
what we wanted to install we started talking to
they swallowed the ideas whole, they wanted >
38 | November 2017
Tasked with taking on
That
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CASE STUDY
| Lava Centre, Iceland
> to create something unique too. From the very beginning they were fully on board, and quickly came up with creative solutions on how we could realise all the ideas we had in our minds.” Hringur
Hafsteinsson,
creative
director,
Gagarin, was keen for visitors to be immersed in the exhibition from the off.
“Even in the
very first exhibit, we have sensors with triggered
We want to be the centre for information when the next eruption happens, we want people to come here to learn what to do when you have an eruption. - Ádbjörn Björgvinsson, Lava Centre
sound, so that you become a part of it. From
On entering the Volcano Corridor you are met
difficult to do because the 4K projector had an
there we tried to make every exhibit interactive,
by lighting jutting out of the wall. The specially
aspect ratio of 16:9, and the ceiling height was
so you are in control. We have learnt from years
designed pieces of wood (each home to 3 LEDs)
low, so the selection of lenses made it difficult to
of experience that if people participate they will
represent a timeline of eruptions in Iceland. The
find the correct distance from the lamps, so we
learn much faster, and the experience is much
LED effects are being driven by Raspberry Pi’s
had to use a mirror again to cover the distance.”
greater for them.”
connected via the network to one PC.
The room also houses a 9.3 x 3.3-metre screen
Visitors to the Lava Centre are greeted in the
The Creation of Iceland room features a giant
foyer by a large table showing the seismic activity
metal rail with a projected dome surface inside
Anyblend).
of different volcanic systems in Iceland using
(a Vivitek 4K 10,000 lumens projector providing
opposite the screen. By standing on one of three
real-time data. The map is produced by two
the images is hidden above). When users move
chosen spots the floor begins to rumble (driven by a
Vivitek projectors edge-blended
the rail a black/white pattern (printed on the
ButtKicker under each panel) and different content
Tech-Spec
together with Vioso Anyblend.
underside of the rail) triggers a sensor which
(Shearing, Magma movements and Drifting plates)
Audio
The
lumens
communicates from a nearby PC to the dome.
appears on the screen in front of each spot.
Audac WX and MERO speaker series and subwoofers
projectors provide the image
By turning the wheel visitors learn that Iceland
The next sensation for visitors is found in the
two
8,000
with two Vivitek projectors (again blended using There are three standing positions
via bespoke mirrors (something
was created when tectonic-plates drifted over a
Earthquake Corridor, where an erupting volcano
AudioTechnica Active WL antennas, combiners and splitters
Feris had to commission after
stationary Mantle plume that lies underneath the
is relayed via a wildly vibrating floor. In another
the
the
island today. Hafsteinsson was worried initially
innovative use of AV technology, instead of using
Danley DTS10 and TH212I subwoofers
idea of the projectors pointing
that having multiple people wanting to turn the
a more traditional effect like a ButtKicker, Feris
OnPointAudio OPA series speakers
downwards).
Seven iiyama
wheel at the same time would turn it in to a
installed two Powersoft M-Force transducers
Panphonics directional speakers and amplifiers
screens accompany the table to
battle, “but in reality it has been just like any
fitted on the X and Y axle of a wooden platform,
display more real-time data.
other human behaviour, if you enter a room full
these are driven by two Powersoft M-Drive
of people they instantly give you attention, they
amplifiers
give you space, and even create a dialogue.”
response to the earthquake audio file. Under the
Peavey MediaMatrix NION n3 Powersoft M-Drive amp, Ottocanali and Quattrocanali DSP
architects
rejected
To take in the full show, which takes around 30 minutes must
This exhibit had been in the plans for the
Presonus 4 and 8 channel USB sound cards
navigate through four corridors
venue since the very beginning, but also created
Sennheiser EW series wireless microphones
and four rooms, all filled with a
a number of issues for Feris, as the company’s
wide variety of AV tech.
manager, Jakob Kristinsson explains.
40 | November 2017
to
complete,
visitors
“It was
which
move
counterweights
in
platform sits a Danley DTS10 sub, which is used to create a deep audio rumble. The next section called The Mantle Plume is centred on a 12-metre tall sculpture.
This
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CASE STUDY
| Lava Centre, Iceland
proved to be the biggest challenge for Feris, as
features 270-degree projection, with the total
it involved the arduous and time-consuming
projection surface measuring 28-metres wide
Peavey MediaMetrix.
install (by hand) of 1.3km of NeoPixel LEDs. The
by 3-metres high.
It is driven by 8,000 lumens
fed into the NION n3 unit for processing and
exterior of the plume is a thin, stretchy material
Vivitek projectors. Like the display in the Creation
level management. The 7.1 cinema system is
created especially by a British tailor, but it was
of Iceland room, there are five interactive spots
processed and managed by the NION, control of
the interior, where the LEDs are held together
around the room, at each one visitors point to
this takes place over a Kiosk GUI and in addition
with a wire mesh, that caused headaches. “It
specific areas on the screen to activate content.
a Crestron system has access to all user controls,
was a mammoth task,” says Kristinsson, “It took
A Microsoft Kinect sensor, housed in a small
presets, level, mutes etc hosted by the NION.
one month to attach the LEDs as we couldn’t
box on the floor, facilitates the gesture control.
The Lava Centre has seen more than 30,000
glue them because of the heat, so we had to
At each touch point there is also a directional
visitors in its first three months of opening. An
use 15,000 wax rubbers instead.” Control of
speaker to dispense atmospheric sound.
The
extension of the site has already been discussed,
the sculpture is by Raspberry Pi’s and Teensy
content is based on all the volcanoes near to
and there is also the possibility of using the roof
controllers (a USB microcontroller system),
Hvolsvöllur.
For the content Gagarin started
as a viewing platform for the Northern Lights,
with Gagarin providing the programming of
with some of its own photos and composed a
and offering the venue for private hire in the
the controllable LEDs in the sculpture.
Audio in the Lava Centre is managed by All Sennheiser mics are
Before
panoramic image using Houdini FX software to
evenings. “My vision is that we expand it in
visitors reach the next room, called Volcanology,
create the animation, which is shown in a 10-min
the future, by adding more components,” says
they have to pass the Magma Corridor, a space full
cycle ending with an eruption.
Björgvinsson. “We want to be the centre for
Tech-Spec Video Audipack projector ceiling mounts and mirror rigs iiyama TF2234MCBX3, TF3237MSC-B3AG, X2481HS-B1 and LH4281S-B1 touchscreens
of mist and eerie atmospheric
The final piece of content is found inside the
information when the next eruption happens, we
Volcanology features
cinema room (which doubles as a presentation space),
want people to come here to learn what to do
nine iiyama touchscreens, each
it features a Vivitek 4K 10,000 lumens projector
when you have an eruption. We don’t want to
fitted with localised audio
shining on a 6.3x3.6-metre Stewart Filmscreen
meet expectations, we want to exceed them, that
and a clever control system.
Phantom screen with 7.1 surround sound.
is the key to the future success of this project”.
sound.
The whole screen is touchenabled but Feris has installed
Microsoft Kinect ONE sensors
a U-shaped slider at the side
Stewart Filmscreen Fixed Phantom HALR screen
of each screen, so the main
Vioso AnyBlend Dual
display stays fingerprint-free.
Vivitek DU8090Z DU8190Z and DK8500Z projectors
As you slide your finder down
Control
from the top of the U the video
Bosch Security DIVAR IP 5000 server, FHD cameras and Flexidome 7000 360° IVA 12MP camera Crestron, CP3e Control unit
and audio changes in time to your touch. To make it to the next room you have to travel through
Raspberry’s PI3 + Controller’s for Neopixel Led control
the Tephra Corridor, which
Samba PLC control unit for Laser sensors and PIR detectors
effect of falling ash. The next
42 | November 2017
replicates
the
disorientating
room, called Mountain View,
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